Whatever Happened After Highschool?
by JJ'sWickedMistress
Summary: Sam and Danny appear to be the perfect couple, until they leave highschool. When Sam stops getting calls from Danny, she fears the worst. She figures a trip back to Amity Park will help, but does it really?
1. Prolouge

**Hey guys! Okay, my first ever posted fanfic on the site. Sorry that I'm not very excited but my best friend and I are in a really bad argument. Anyway, on with the story, I hope you like it! I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters, they belong to Butch Hartman. The song belongs to Green Day.**

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**Prologue**

**I saw my friend the other day, and I don't know, exactly just what he became…**

Sam shuffled along the sidewalk, staring down at her reflection in the wet pavement. As the rain blew harder through the wind, she pulled her black jacket around her, brushing her soaked hair out of her eyes. _It's like the last day Danny and I were together…_ Sam thought wearily as she twisted down the winding road on her own, her vision distorted by the haze. Everything seemed to blend in to the white gray of the sky, making it impossible to tell one building from the next, ground from the gray dome above her. Occasionally a car or two would pass her by, leaving behind only a spray of white water and a hiss on the asphalt. Looking hard, she could just make out a few details of her old high school as she passed it. The windows were bashed in, the doors set ajar. The flag from the middle of the courtyard had obviously been taken down. All that remained was litter and playground apparatus, the sign that anyone had tried to use the property in the last twenty years gone by. It had been a long twenty years. Sam pressed against the chain link fence, watching the gate swing back and forth violently, restrained only by a long chain with a lock on it. All she could think was "Why did I come here? There's nothing left, probably not even Danny." Sam thought about her old best friend often, though they hadn't done so much as sent each other an e-mail in the last eleven years. They'd kept in touch for a while after graduating Casper High, even when Sam had gone to an out of state college. Danny had even taken a year of classes at Amity University with Tucker, trying to make his life more than it was planned out to be. Last she heard Danny was working part-time as a cashier at Smith's, trying to earn some more money to stay in college. What she didn't understand was that she and Tuck were still in touch, though the last time she'd called Danny he hadn't called back. Was the message still on the answering machine, flashing the red light meaning it hadn't been heard? What scared her most was that Tucker didn't know where he'd gone to. "Just go back to Amity Park and look for him. I can't imagine he's left-as long as there are still ghosts to fight. He wanted to be the hero."

"Tucker, what if that killed him? What if he's one of them now?" she yelled. She knew she sounded whiny but she couldn't help it. "Samantha" Tucker said seriously "He was fine. He always fought them off. And with his parent's ghost stuff, why wouldn't he?"

"That's when we were helping him. That's before he had to earn his own money and the ghosts- they just got stronger as time progressed." There was a long pause before Tuck spoke again. "Hey Sam, I'm really sorry but I've got to go. The computer lab needs me to fix something on their Word program. I'll get back to you, I'm sorry if I'm not helping much."

"It's okay Tuck…so…bye…" Sam barely whispered this last before clicking off the phone, and dropping it to her side. The plastic hitting tile was the only sound behind her gasping, as Sam looked in fear at the window by the side of the door again. She had sworn she'd seen a blue-faced, red-eyed, white-haired man standing there. He was gone now, leaving a total and eerie silence wafting through the halls of Sam's apartment. Sam decided she knew now what she had to do…

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**Okay, prologue's finished! Sorry, it's not my best,butI have to go. Pleasereview! I'll update soon!-**

**The lovely Mistress Amity**


	2. Hope and Failure

… **I'm back with Chapter 1! I don't have much to say, I hope you enjoy this. I do not own the song. Green Day does. All Danny Phantom characters belong to Butch Hartman. I only own Carrie.**

**Chapter 1: **

**It goes to show, it wasn't long ago, I was just like you...**

A few people glanced at Sam as she walked by, but she ignored it. It didn't worry her as much as anything else right now. The winds grew colder as shuffled along, the rain tranforming into a soft powdery snow. A flake landed on her cheek, and Sam could feel the burn of it. Pushing her frozen bangs aside, she started to run, headed in no real direction, she figured there really wasn't anywhere to go in the town anyway. She was starting to lose hope of ever finding Danny , she couldn't think of anywhere else he could possibly be. The goth girl slowed to a fast paced walk as she passed Danny's old home with the obnoxious Fenton Works sign at the top. Could he possibly be in there? The building seemed pretty useless now, broken up and neglected, just like every other place in the city. It also suprized her she hadn't seen anyone she knew yet. What had eveyone gone off to pursue after Highschool graduation anyway? Dash had gone to professional football, of course, on the worst team, as would always be. Her friend Carrie had gone off to Berkeley, California to kick-start her career as the drummer of a band she couldn't recall the name of. Tucker was in colledge in New Mexico, Danny was lost,and no one else had really been close to her or known by her - except Paulina. Yes, where had the snobby brat gone? What had become of her? As much as she hated to say it, Paulina was gorgeous, she couldn't have gotten no where with that. May be she was a model or something, but then again, it didn't seem too likely. Secretly Sam hoped she was living somewhere around Amity Park, in a hard, minimum wage life. It actually seemed realistic. _Why am I thinking of this anyway? Come on Sam, you've got to pull yourself together. No time now to think of why no one's still around or where they went, no one besides Danny._ Why had she never realized these feelings she had for Danny before? That when Valerie, now a student at UNM with Tucker, had gone on a search and destroy mission of Danny, and Sam had had to kiss him, why hadn't she said it was real? Why? Why? Why, why, why, why! That's all Sam could think. She noticed she had broken into a sprint, and stopped. The search for Danny was hopeless if she kept freaking out. Through the moving layers of white she could make out the store sign of a Texaco gas station. At least she could go there until the storm was past. She moved gracefully and swiftly, her skingoing numb, the air piercing her lungs, rising in wisps of vapor as she walked. Why had she been stupid enough to come out here at this time of year? Why hadn't she waited for spring? Danny couldn't wait though, he needed to be found. Andshe would find him, one way or another, _dead or alive._ She just hoped she could find him in time, before he was nothing more than a decaying corpse undera stone that read R.I.P. She knew he wouldn't ever be resting inpeace though, more than likely he would get beat up by his enemies in the Ghost Zone.That's the next place to check, Sam thought wearily. _I hope they still have one of their ghost vehicles down in that basement, how else will I travel through it? Uh oh, flash back. "It's got a cup holder! Tuck, just ask that girl for directions."_ They'd found Danny then just barely in time, but how about now. Some how she didn't think she'd be that lucky on this mission.The storm was starting to let up now, meaning the search could continue on in her unending voyage. As she thought this, she saw a dark haired man in the distance, standing by the front door of the Texaco she was headed to. To Sam, it looked like- it couldn't be! Was it really Danny? "Danny!" Sam put out questioningly, "Darn it Danny, it's me Sam!" From the distance, she didn't think he could here her. She probably looked like an idiot, it probably wasn't even him. Perhaps she was just hallucinating, but she could swear Danny was standing there in flesh and blood. It was him, she could feel it. Sam's heart felt the magnetic tug, it let her know she was headed in the right direction. She closed her eyes and kept hoping, praying to God that he was okay, that everything would be alright from now on. _Oh great _she thought _this is the job he chose? So much for a better life...but at least he may be alive. If it's really him... oh dear God let it be him._ The snow had almost stopped now, it was nothing more than light flurries of white specks. "Danny!" The man, who was now sitting on the hood of an old car, looked up and dusted the snow off the top of his jet black of his hair that so sweetly contradicted it. She started to run toward him, not payin attention to the traffic on the streets. Why does he seem so different now? Sam realized something was wrong. The man's eyes turned red, and he turned away from her. _Danny, what's wrong. Oh my God, "Danny!" _She stopped and looked behind her. The man jumped down from the car. "Sam, NO!" A loud horn and motor sound filled her ears as a gust of wind pushed her down. She feel the pressure of heat from the enormous truck bear down on her, and she knew she could do nothing, she'd failed. She was going to die.

**Okay, chapter 1! Sorry it's not very long, but I'm working on making Chapter2 longer. Also, I shortened my pen name, it's now just JJ'sWickedMistress. Don't hate me. If you don't like tragedies or favour Sam and Danny being together all the time, I'm advising you, don't read this. You'll hate me. Thankyou to TayloWolf for being the first to give me a wonderful reviews. Keep them coming!**


	3. Heartbraker

**Okay, the highly anticipated 2nd Chapter! Now we can find out what happens to our poor Sam! It doesn't look good... Anyway, I'm going to put this in paragraphs upon request from my wonderful reviewers. All characters except Carrie and a few others belong to Butch Hartman. The kick-butt Green Day owns the song (and I totally got to see them in concert!)**

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**Chapter 2**

**Now I think I'm sick and I wanna go home.**

Sam didn't move. Only darkness enveloped her, suffocating, warm, deadly. Snow began once again to layer on her fallen body, and the people surrounding her bent down to brush it off. "Will she wake up? Come on, I need to know! Oh dear God, this is all my fault. If I'd only called her back..."

"Pull yourself together! Give her time, she'll awaken, just you wait." The blonde haired woman standing next to the man frowned, then kneeled down to Sam's side. She pressed her ear to Sam's chest and then announced "Her heart is still beating at a normal rate. Look, she's still with us, she's starting to shiver. Somebody get me that blanket over there." A person out of the crowd walked to the back and got an cheap blanket sitting on one of the sales racks of the rest stop building. "She's waking up, she's waking up!" came excited cheers from the crowd. Some jumped up and down. The dark-haired man looked toward her, but remained still and quiet. "Give 'er some space dangit!" the blonde shouted, making sharp, quick motions with her hands, shooing them all backwards. "Sammi, Sammi can you here me?"

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Sam's amethyst eyes fluttered, not really opening but fluttering. The man's heart was in his throat. He wanted to hug the strong, brave goth girl, tell her how sorry he was, but he restrained himself. _Have some self control! _he scolded himself. Sam's eyes continued to flutter, but opening up slightly this time. Sam could smell mud and sweat and dirt and cigarettes as she awoke. People surrounded her, strangers, some friends. She recognized the beaming face of Carrie immeadiately. The man rushed over, pushing Carrie out of the way. "Hey! Why you little-" Carrie paused, seeing how much he was truly wanting to be by Sam. _Love._ she thought to herself _How cute they are together._ "Sam, Sam, wake up, it's me Danny!" _That sugar sweet voice, that beautiful voice. It can only belong to one person,_ thought Sam _One once young, happy boy named Daniel Fenton!_ She snapped awake, as if re-entering reality from a long trance. "Is it really...you? Come to me Danny! Stay by me, don't leave!" She reached out a pale hand, long nails painted in diagonal stripes of white and black. A single bloody gash showed part of where she'd been hit by that nightmare vehicle. Danny grabbed her, asked her if shecould stand up, to which she replied "I think." How long had he waited to see that angelic little face? Danny wondered. How long had it been since his last kisses had befallen those beautiful lips, now covered in lipstick so red it could be his own blood? How long? 

"20 years, Danny. We've been apart 20 long years. But I'm here now, so help me up!" He gathered his strength and pulled her. She only giggled, a girlish, childish giggle, her whiter than normal cheeks turning a rosy red. He had seized her spirits whole, brought back the memories. She saw them dancing in that field of white flowers, feeling the breeze in their hair, only theabandoned apartments of the outskirts of Amitygaining preview to their act. Not even Tucker or a parent to watch them, they were all alone.

It frightened Danny how Sam had read his thoughts, almost as if she'd been psychic. He looked around as Sam skipped, eyes only halfway open. "Danny, catch me!" she said, almost as if they were playing a children's game. When would she realize they were here, ina gas station in northeast Amity? A dozen or more people watched the act; Sam was still blissfully unaware. It was almost funny how delirious she was, remembering things that had never happened, people that didn't really exist, games they'd never played. It would have been funny, if it didn't mean Danny's ghost side was effecting her. Ever since Highschool Graduation, Danny had this certain side, different from his regular alter-ego. No, it was a third side, bred by tears and pain and loneliness. It had been born a killer, and Danny knew it's purpose. It had it out for Sam, almost as if she was a factor leading to his depression. If he couldn't get rid of it, Sam would be dead before Christmas. And the sad thing was, it wasn't that long untilChristmas. Less then a month, he guessed. He watched her in all her splendour, picking up a bottle of Pepsi as if it were a vial of potion, a wine of some sorts. She opened it, took a swig, acting as if she were drunk. "Danny, isn't it wonderful here?"

"Sam, we need to go home. Come on, Carrie, help me here." They grabbed her hands, but Sam refused to be led away. She stomped her foot like a stubborn child. "Can you not see the beauty of this place? Daniel Fenton, put me down!" Sam hammered Danny's chest, but he held her, princess carrying her to his beat up Ford Explorer. "Hey Sam, bet you don't remember this car." As if suddenly fully-consicious, she considered the vehicle, taking in the look of the rust, the weather-worn forest green paint. The same Mardi Gra beads and pine-tree shaped freshener hung from the rearview mirror, the same license plate with the letters PHTM464 on front and back. It still sported the same bumper stickers, Slipknot, 89.5 the View, Air Force... Air Force? She didn't recall that one, but she wasn't up to thinking about it. Soon Carrie walked out, as strangely dressed and everything as Sam could remember her. Seeing that Sam was consicious, she ran up and tackled her, almost scaring her with her shower of hugs and kisses. "Crud. Oh wow Carrie, never knew you liked me that way." Sam laughed "How's the drumming been going?" Carrie looked up. "Uhh, well, I guess." Sam saw she was lying, Carrie was a terrible liar. "Carrie, What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Carrie, come on, we both know that's not true. We've been best friends since how long? Tell me what it is."

"You'd kill me. It's something you wouldn't understand."

"Come on girl, of all the stupid things. How much crap have I kept quiet for you since I was 8?"

"It would kill you, okay? Not now, I'll talk to you later..."

"Carrie..." Sam said in an annoyed tone, rolling her eyes. "You know if I'm lying Sam.I swear on my soul I'll tell you later, but now's not a good time. But you have to promise you'll understand." Sam seemed to be even more annoyed "I will." Carrie stuck out her pinkie, and Sam resisted the urge to tell her they hadn't done that since the 5th Grade. Instead, she wrapped her finger around Carrie's stuck out one. "Okay, now, we're going out to get Sonic, because I'm starved."

"Sounds good." Sam followed Carrie and Danny into the car, taking a seat on the ripped upholstery. Same old trash and cd cases everywhere she remembered. Danny put the key in the ignition, and the radio clicked on. The clock said 6:04 pm. How long had she been asleep? She'd gotten to the city around 10:00 am, so it had been a long day. She picked up an old issue of Rolling Stone and looked at it. Man, he practically lived in this car.

Danny sighed, his breath coming up in wisps of just plain white smoke. He pushed the car forward. "Any objections to Sonic and a night at my place?"

"No." Said both girls in the front seat (ya, they were sharing a seat). "Just hurry because I really want a Chicken Strip Wrap!"

"Okay Sammi, I think China can hear you!" Carrie exclaimed, suddenly at ease. But she knew Danny wasn't. _Oh Danny _she thought_ Oh Danny, ifonly I hadn't come along. She thinks you are still hers, poor girl. Maybe if I just lie... no, that would never work. She can see right through you. If only there was some way to get rid of the fact..._

_(Danny thinking) Get rid of the fact I'm going to kill her, when I don't even want to._

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**Okay, finally, something that was pretty long. You guys better have liked it, it took me 2 hours. At least now I sort of have an idea where this is going. Thanx to this time's reviewers: TayloWolf, C.E. Hobbit, Aqua91, the sleep warrior, and last but not least, Darth Hawk 32. I love getting the reviews, keep them coming! Hopefully I'll get to update soon.- Love the wonderful Mistress Amity.**


	4. Choose

**Hey, as long as I'm stuck here at home with really nothing to do, I figured I might as well write Chapter 3. I guess if you guys really want to know what happens to Sam... I do too! (except that I know already, ha ha!) Here you go. I do not own the Danny Phantom characters, or the song. All I own is Carrie and the storyline. Sorry I couldn't get this out sooner...**

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**Chapter 3**

**How have I been, how have you been, it's been so long...**

_(Danny thinking) How will I save her? She's going to die, and it's all by fault of me. If only I'd called her back, told her the truth, told her why we couldn't be together. But of course I fell for my childish feelings for her instead. Now that she's here, there's not much I can do for her... oh if only my powers would let me spare her._

"So Sam, how is it for you?" Carrie asked her friend, trying not to let Danny's mood get to her. Yet, she herself knew what he was thinking at that very moment, the very same as she sat quietly and thought, trying to find her way around it. In the end, everything came down to the point where Sam would have to know.

_If only it weren't true, and everything was the same again. Sam would be with Danny, I'd be with my band, and everyone could live through it. But for this curse, someone has to die, and every pain in my heart says it's Samantha. There's so much to it, not only Danny's alter-ego issues but the job applications he's signed, where he's headed to. And what now that I have to dedicate myself to not the music industry but something much, much harder. Now that Sam's back in Amity there's so much more at stake than just the future of Danny Fenton._

Carrie blankly stared at the white headlights cutting through red dust and forests and brush. She watched the rabbits scurry across the road, headed for somewhere unknown, trying to get back to shelter. It was funny how she could relate that to her life, and at the same time, it scared her. _It could be my last breath that I take before this is resolved. Unless Danny has any ideas, we might all very well be doomed._

_(Sam's POV) Carrie and Danny are acting rather peculiar. And I can't remember him ever having an Air Force sticker on this car. No, this is too strange. I can't piece it together, it's- impossible._

"We're here!" shouted Carrie,though the fake enthusiasm was noticeable in her voice. Everything she was trying to act out here was a lie, but Sam ignored that and tried once again to act happy. Sam ignored even the fact they just maybe, there was a reason she should not be here. Why else should Danny, once her best friend, her soul-mate, be so hesitant to react happily to her being here?

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They sat quiety under the yellow lamp, watching the moths fly pointlessly around the car. Sam sighed, but there was no other noise, besides the music drifting quietly from the speakers over head. "where I wrecked my first car, I tore it all to pieces..." It was Sam and Danny's favourite country song. As Sam thought about it, she remembered a lot about why they liked it. It was all back in highschool, when he got his license, and then crashed right down the red dirt road they'd passed not more then five minutes ago... How carefree they were back then, she thought, pulling herself to the present. 

The trio sat in near silence, waiting for the food to get there. Carrie tried again with her small talk, but it never amounted to much. How could anything erase the terrible things she and Danny had to tell Sam? Some part of her wished itcould just be over with, that she wasn't ever here, that Sam didn't have to suffer because two of her best friends had their own stupid issues.

They wolfed down the food when it came, then, at last started to converse. "You know guys, the other day, it was pretty funny. I ran into the box ghost again, like, the first time in years... He looks all old now. He could barely say 'I'm' before I punched him down and sucked him up into the Fenton thermos."

"Oh dear God you still use that thing?" Sam asked, trying to keep the conversation going. "Ya, well, I kind of have to. My parents never thought of anything better and I can't really just go visit them and say "Gee, hi mom, hi dad, guess what, I'm that superhero you called InvisoBill and I really need something new to fight ghosts with!" Danny continued to make imitations of his mother, making them all laugh.

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After dinner they all went to Danny's place, leaving all their stuff in his car. Hey, it blended in perfectly with all of his own belongings that were shoved in there. The apartment was small, a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet that barely fit, a kitchen with only a microwave, cabinet sized refridgerator and another sink, and a bed room, complete with an old, small cable tv, a coffee table, and a fold out couch. "Home sweet home, number 021! Comfy, ain't it?" said Danny. 

"More like claustrophobic." Sam remarked, Carrie mumbling something of the same kind behind her. "Not that it couldn't be any worse." She knocked off her boots and took her hair out of it's tie, letting the thick jet black locks fall loosely over her shoulders. She stretched out her arms and yawned, turning her head over her shoulder to look at Danny. "Just getting comfortable, if you don't mind."

"Go right ahead." They smiled at each other, the same stupid way they always had, as kids, as teens, all their lives. "Uhh" Carrie groaned "I'm stuffed."

"Me too. Hey guys, come over and sit on the couch. I have a heated blanket somewhere around here..." He walked to the radiator at the far end of the room, and grabbed a blanket off of the pile he had next to it. "Not as good as electric, but it's ok, right?" He reached out blindly for the remote off the floor, pointing it towards the black tv. It slowly flickered on, the audio coming before sound, saying something about a snow advisory. "Everyone prepared to get snowed in?" questioned Carrie, looking to her right, straight at Sam. "Ready as I could ever be. Hey, Danny, got any sleep pants I might borrow? These jeans are killing me."

"Ya, probably on the floor here somewhere, or in the bathroom." He looked around. "Here you go" he said, throwing a worn, patched up pair. "Thanks. I'll just go change in the bathroom." When she came back, Danny and Carrie were watching Punk'd. "So, what do you guys want to watch. I have the news, MTV, or Cartoon Network on here, not that anything other than this is very interesting." Sam looked at him. "I don't know, it's your own damn house why don't you choose?" He could tell she was just trying to mess with him. "Or I have a whole bunch of movies here that I never returned to Blockbuster- The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Star Wars, Monty Python and the Holy Grail,Corspe Bride- tons of crap... guys, come over here!" Carrie and Sam walked towards the white cardboard box, looking down at the 30 or more movies in there. "And you dont own any of these?" Sam asked Danny. "Well, only the VHS stuff, but all the DVD's are rentals..." Sam shook her head, thinking, God, when would the guy ever learn? He was as bad as he was long ago...

"Here guys, why don't we watch Corpse Bride? I haven't seen that in forever and a half." Carrie pulled out the scratched up, pirated copy Danny owned out of it's case and popped it in the DVD player, hearing it whir inside as it loaded. The tv screen didn't work well, but you could still see what was going on. It was good enough for them. And even better, it kept Carrie and Danny's explanations and confessions out of the way for a while. Danny stood up, coughing as the movie came on, and said "Anyone want egg nog?" Both girls stared at the television intently for a second, then said "Sure" in union, still not averting their eyes. Danny came back with an almost-expired carton of the drink, three blue plastic cups and a lighter. "Well, this is my fancy dining guys. Over used plastic stuff that you're supposed to throw away." Sam knew he was trying to make a point, he was poor and not too pleased about it. She started to mumble something, but no one heard it over the speakers blaring a song out of the movie. Sam just felt removed and distant now, there was no other way of putting it.

Danny pulled a cigarette butt out of the ash tray next to Carrie and tried lighting it. "Dangit! Ow crap." Sam watched as he flailed his burned finger around, biting his lip. He put the cigarette to his mouth and took a drag, exhaling the bitter, stale smoke from between his pale lips. He shuddered. Sam guessed it was his way of pretending not to notice the blue smoke that he breathed out when there was a ghost around. Taking a box off the ground, he offered Carrie and Sam two new ones. Carrie looked at him and shrugged, then plucked one of the cigarettes out of Danny's hand. Sam shook her head. She'd never liked smoking much, though both her parents had smoked all her life, as well as her little sister. Carrie held hers by Sam's mouth, and she took it out of her fingers with her mouth. She sucked in a little then coughed it all out. Carrie dumped it in the ash tray, remembering why she hadn't drank or smoked in a few months.

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It was time to tell Samantha what was going on. Danny didn't want to do it, but he couldn't keep lying and ignoring his once soulmate. He put an arm over her bare shoulders, letting her lay her head back on his chest. She curled up next to him, and Carrie positioned herself to lay on her. Danny took a deep breath, shakely breathing it all out. This was probably the last time she would ever want to lay this close to him. "Sam" he began "There's something Carrie and I need to tell you. We... uhh, we, are..." Carrie let a warm tear run down her cheek, letting it fall on Sam's back. Sam got up, instinct kicking in to comfort her immediatley. "We're having a baby" Danny blurted out, looking away, out into the distant dark of the kitchen. "I neverwanted to hurt you this way. It's just, ok, well, you still gonna listen to me?" Sam looked up, trying to act like she wasn't mad, jealous, or annoyed, not any of it. "I'm listening." She wanted to hear what he had to say. "Well, I'm so poor, right? Working minimum wage, as a dishwasher at McDonalds. You know that's not my fault." She nodded, agreeing, it wasn't his fault he had an accident that turned him into this. Carrie was starting to weep. "Well, I signed up for work in the Air Force, and, well, they're sending me away to fight in Iraq." His face was emotionless, scary. Sam couldn't stop staring into his baby blue eyes, seeing if that emotion would change. Carrie sobbed hysterically on her shoulder, like it was the first time she'd heard it. Sam was too shocked, she didn't know whether to scream, or cry, or ask when the baby was due or what sex it was or all of that at the same time. Thinking about it, she didn't know much anymore. Her life was being rendered pointless. Her heart was braking. She just wanted to jump up and run, run away from everything. She was no longer in control. 

Danny started speaking again, though he knew Sam wouldn't want to hear anymore. "It's just- one day I saw Carrie, and she was so sad. Her lead singer had just been hit by a drunk driver and killed, and she'd come back to Amity in search of comfort and escape." He brushed his hair out of his face, removing the sweat from his forehead, then continued. "She seemed so glad to see me, and when she told me to take her to shelter, and stay, I did. I stayed in my car in the dead of night with her. And because of that, she freaking pregnant!" Sam felt the burning lump in her throat, tears stinging her eyes open. Danny leaned his head closer to her quivering lips. "I never meant to hurt you this way Sam, never. It was torture not talking to you for all those years. I- I'm so sorry. Tell me it might still be okay between us." Sam needed time to think, time to cry, to drink her pain away. "I think I'll go take a shower, and maybe then I'll feel better." Danny rose as if to follow her, to say something more, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to go to sleep. Carrie had cried her self to sleep. Sam had nothing more to say.

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She stepped into the steaming water, letting it burn her cold skin. She slid down the wall of the small shower, kneeling down on old, empty bottles of beer and shampoo. She watched all her dark make-up slide down her body, into the drain, discolouring the already ruined yellow-white floor. She stepped backwards, cutting her foot on a broken brown glass. All she did was bite the inside of her cheek and watch it bleed, a song popping into her head. It took her a second to realize Danny was playing Stone Sour in the next room. It was the song 'Choose'. That's when she heard the trigger click outside the door, the shallow, boyish weeping. Fear crept into her veins, making her move suddenly, grabbing an old towel and shoving open the door, or trying to. She appeared to have been locked in. She had to think fast. "Danny! DANNY! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU ALWAYS!" She picked up a half bottle of beer off the side of the sink and lugged it at the door. "DONT DO THIS! STOP FOR ME IF NO ELSE!"

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**Sorry about the part where I just rambled on and on, I was thinking of how to get to the last part. Please review people! I think I've really got the story going now. Thank you my reviewers: the sleep warrior, Krista, butterBiscuits (Did I answer your question:)), azngirlchibi, C.E. Hobbit, and phantominsideofme. Thank you so much for reviewing, u guys rock my socks. - Mistress Amity**


	5. Alone in the Night

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry it's taken me sooooo long to update! As I've said on my other stories, I've been busy, so forgive me if this next chapter isn't very long. I promise I'll write more when school lets out! Thx!

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**Chapter 4**

**How have I been, how have you been, It's been so long,**

**What have you done with all your time, and what went wrong...**

Sam dropped down onto the floor, feeling empty, feeling as if she'd done all she could do but she wasn't good enough. If that's what she'd been feeling, she'd been wrong. Danny stopped, uncocked the gun, dropped it outside of the door. He grabbed the keyand unlocked the bathroom door. Sam let out a breath she hadn't even noticed that she had been holding. She looked up at the broken ceiling, feeling a little bit of relief coming towards hermind. At least the seemingly worst part of the calamity was over. She grabbed a towel off of the shelf and stepped over all the clutter, reaching for the worn door handle. This time it clicked open easily, allowing her out of the bathroom.

Danny looked over, his eyes red and puffy. Sam didn't think she'd ever seen him cry before. She just stood there, paralyzed in a feeling between relief and fear. No one had stopped the CD player, it just continued playing. The television was muted, showing pictures of war and sports and weather reports.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

Sam looked away, down at the ground, feeling as if she could just vanish completely from the moment. She just didn't want to deal with all of this right now, though something told her that she ought to.

"Danny, why? Why did you try to do that? Why would you?"

"I'm so sorry Sam, I should never have done this. I just wanted not to be me. I'm turning evil. I am evil for all I know. I'm an ass, I'm a bastard, I'm the worst lover. Why do you make me stay here?"

"Because...because..." The words were dying on her lips. "Because you are the one person I love Danny. Because I need you. Is that a good enough reason?"

Danny didn't know what he should say.The truth was, he loved Sam like she seemed to love him. But how could he betray Carrie and their baby? Would Sam understand if he had to leave her, or would she fall into an endless depression? He could never quite tell. He wished that it could all just be over and he could make everyone happy. He wanted to give both Carrie and Sam what they deserved.

Carrie looked over, suddenly awake. She lifted her head from the card table that acted as Danny's dining room furniture. She had been unaware of what had just gone on, fortunately enough. Seeing that Danny had been crying, she walked over to the couch, sitting down a few inches from Danny. She tried to hug him, but he pushed her away. He didn't like to be touched when he was upset.

Sam walked away, tired of being wet and cold, and turned to put her pants on and a a shirt she found laying around, undoubtedly Danny wouldn't mind her borrowing it. There was an akward silence in the apartment. Sam sat down on a broken recliner, shivering against the odd coldness of the ripped, white leather. She pulled a throw around her shoulders, looking up at the low ceiling, not wanting to have to be the one to break the silence. The stereo had stopped and automatically turned itself off after a while. The T.V. stood quiet, and the screen had grown fuzzy and almost indistinct. A light in the background flickered off.

Finally, getting up, Danny spoke. "It's been a long day for everyone here, we should try to get to sleep."

Carrie was already asleep and Sam just nodded in the dark. "I'll sleep here."

"You sure? It's not the most comfortable..." Danny cut himself off, realizing that he should just leave her be. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

He thought he heard his friend whisper 'okay' in the dark but wasn't sure. He didn't care, he just walked away, finding a place to lay down in his room. Clicking off the television and the overhead light, he layed down and fell asleep.

* * *

Sam stared through the darkness at the wall, covered in pictures that appeared as no more than blank dark patches to her. The clock on the microwave read 5:49 AM in neon green. There was rain coming in through the kitchen window above the sink, but she didn't get up to fix it. She looked to Carrie, but she was still asleep. The only light was that of the moon coming through the window, casting a glow of silver over her body, glinting off of the chrome buttons of the stereo. She just couldn't sleep, after all that had happened that day. 

Sampicked up the remote, pressing the red power button. The T.V.gave a high electric whine, flashing on to a local car dealer's commercial. Sam clicked the channel button, ending up on I Love the 90's. She watched, her eyes blank. It was then she heard the noises outside, and she realized she wasn't the only one that was awake. Something crashed outside on the balcony, hitting the window, then falling into what sounded like a puddle. Sam cautiously wandered toward the backdoor, wishing it was morning. But by the time she'd reached it, there was nothing, savea broken flower pot.

Sam sat on the ground, not wanting to be awake but not wanting to sleep. She wished she had someone with her, but she would feel so rude if she interupted the peace of her sleeping comrades. Pulling her blanket up to her chest, she sat on the couch next to Carrie, waiting for the morning to come. As she once again tried to sleep, she thought of the open window in the kitchen. It was on a 50 foot drop, what kind of maniac would climb that?

All at once, Sam thought she knew. _He _was out for her.

* * *

**I know, I know, it doesn't make much sense right now, but the next chapter will clear it up. Sorry if it's a kinda short and boring chapter, I promise the next one is better. Thank you so much to my reviewers: Demetria (yay!), thesleepwarrior, and azngirlchibi. Please keep reviewing!**

**-Mistress Amity**


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